Drought in Williamsburg County, SC: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Williamsburg County, SC: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (19 wk), 2002 (35 wk), 2007 (21 wk), 2008 (13 wk), 2011 (13 wk), 2012 (26 wk), 2015 (13 wk), 2022 (23 wk) and 2025 (19 wk). Not a single drought week in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2020.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Apr, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Against the rest of SC

34th most drought-prone of 46 SC counties; the SC middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Chesterfield County (3.5 in 10) and Berkeley County (3.5 in 10). Driest in SC: Abbeville County (5.8 in 10). Least drought: Charleston County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Apr (28% of weeks), then Jul (26%) and Jun (25%). Least in Oct (12%). May to September averages 21%.

24 Jan
21 Feb
24 Mar
28 Apr
25 May
25 Jun
26 Jul
13 Aug
15 Sep
12 Oct
16 Nov
18 Dec

The worst year: 2002

2002: 35 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 20.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 8.7% at D2, 3.1% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 45 weeks, Oct 23, 2001 to Aug 27, 2002.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 19 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 4.4 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 43 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.